Premier League giants Liverpool are ready to rival Arsenal for the pursuit of Valencia’s star player Carlos Soler next summer.
According to The Sun, as relayed by Eldesmarque, Carlos Soler is seemingly becoming a hot prospect in the European market. He is already courted by two English heavyweights in Liverpool and Arsenal, with Jurgen Klopp, in particular, identifying him as a perfect replacement for Gini Wijnaldum.
Valencia, though, are intent on keeping hold of Soler, who himself is ready to commit his future at the club. The player already has a contract until 2023, and a whopping release clause amounting to €150 million, so convincing the Spanish giants to offload their star player will be a difficult task for the interested parties.
It is apparent that Soler loves Valencia. He was born in the city and has been a member of the club’s youth department for a long time, before making his professional breakthrough around five years ago. Since then, the midfielder has notched up almost 200 competitive appearances for the club, notably winning the Copa del Rey in 2019.
During his time at Valencia, Soler has made a name for himself due to his chance creation and technical prowess in midfield. In recent years, it has been backed by productivity, with the 24-year-old notably being involved in 18 goals last term.
It has made him a favourite for Spain national team head coach Luis Enrique. The player was even given his debut earlier this month and has featured in all three of La Roja‘s matches, thus making him one of the hottest prospects in the market.
Soler’s recent success has now put Liverpool on red alert, as the club are on the looking out for attacking midfield talents who can serve as a long-term replacement for the departed Wijnaldum. The Reds are reportedly weighing up a big-money move for Jude Bellingham next summer, but Soler could be a cost-effective and more experienced alternative.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are still struggling with their lack of creativity going forward despite the rather bargain signing of Martin Odegaard. It is still early days in the camp, but it appears Mikel Arteta is hoping to sign the Valencia star as an ideal partner for Thomas Partey in the middle of the park or even an alternative for Odegaard.
But given the lack of success the north London club have had of late, it will be difficult for them to convince Soler to move to the Emirates. Liverpool, in that regard, certainly have the upper hand, but with the player keen on continuing at Valencia, the Reds may need to dig deep in their pockets to afford the 24-year-old next summer.
